A different night survey is possible: thermal imaging and Line Transect Sampling for deer population assessment in a Mediterranean forest.

Speaker: Barbara Franzetti (Istituto Nazionale Fauna Selvatica)

Abstract

In the last ten years, the dramatic increase in size of deer and wild boar populations all-over Italy and their impact on native woodland, agricultural land and other wild species have made efficient monitoring essential for an effective management strategy. However, these animals are elusive, nocturnal and prefer densely vegetated habitats, reducing the detection probability and the efficiency of standard survey techniques.